The Obama administration yesterday decided, wisely, to block the release of photos of alleged prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ACLU has sought the photos for years, which is not surprising; anything to give aid and comfort to the terrorists, after all.

Last month, Obama’s Justice Department announced that it would not oppose a federal judge’s order to release 44 photos.

But the administration hung a U-turn yesterday and — citing national security and the safety of the troops in the field — announced that it would fight the ruling.

Good. There is nothing to be gained by releasing the photos — unless the objective is to ignite another round of national self-flagellation.

Obama, the White House says, “strongly believes that the release of these photos . . . would only [inflame] the theaters of war, jeopardizing US forces and making our job more difficult in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.”

One might add that it would also hamper the efforts of intelligence officers still charged with gaining intelligence from terrorist networks.